Valve control means



Feb. 20, 1945. o, TH|E| VALVE CONTROLMEANS Filed April 27,` 1944 l a s. 2 a 1 1 2 lpllly o 6,24 1\,., MM 2 L I JTTII* l, lil. l I l Il. |.|l| Il/ N f f/a 2 z/H v luv M/ M 2 M HTTdF/YEX ofthe link'2ll.l

Patented Feb. 2.70, 1945 lUNITEDSTATES 'PATENT OFFICE A vALva coNrrnoL MEANS Otto Thiel, Detroit, Mich.

mounted ac ls on abess n ef` the head H', the pivot lli also mounting across leverL I8 which has an end i9 connected to a link .20 toy which is ilxed a cup 2-l`, the lower end of .thev link 20 being pivotallyfonnected at 22 to a cross lever 23 mounted on aiixed pivot 24 formed on a stop 25 xed to the sideofthe tank I; the other end 216 of the cross lever 23 is pivotally connected to the 'lower end of a counterweight ,rod 21 whose upper vend 28'is pivotally connected to the cross lever i8. A parallelograxn for parallel motion fisv formed by thel cross leversl and r.23, the link 2U,

`and the counterweig'ht rod 21, so that parts 2"0 and =21 are guidedt move truly vertically Ain the..

tank in responseto movement of the cross levers. When rod y21 moves up, it strikes lever lfto 'An inverted cup 30 is Vvfixed to the upperk'end Integral 'with' bracket 2-5 is 'a bracket A4V|l`which1 pivotally mounts at -4I, a latch in the form of av bellcrank 42'having a cro'sspin 43 which cooperates with the upper and lower cams w44 and 4'5 of a plate 46 fixed to the lower end of link 20'to provide a; latch for thisl link; The bell` crank 42 constantly tends to rock counter-clockwise n its pivot 4I and functions to delay the movementof link 20 by engaging either of the cams 44,45 of plate 46 on link 20. l

The operation is as follows: Assume the cycle starts with of the lower cup 3l whichis iilled with water and whose weight has overcome the counterweight 21 f and has lowered valve' I3 to open.y The upper cu-p 30 is empty vand has no eiect. Pin y43 engages cam` '4'5 tolatch the linkage in the valve open position. Not until cup l3l! rises to overcome Zthe lthe rvalve open n I and the Iwater level low, well below the upper end i Application Aprirz'z; 1944, serial Ne; VY533,030

`3- (ci. 1er-rss) If water is admitted to a level above cup 2 l, that cup will lose thegreater portion of its effective weight; being completely submerged, and will no "f longeryoppose the-counterweight. However, nothing will happen until the water level becomes high enough to raise the vupper cup 30 to overcome the weight of bellcrank 4.2 and release the latch at i 43-45, whereupon thecounterweightv 21 drops yneedle valve |13 pivotally lconnected at its lower end I4 to a.V countcrweight` lever l5 .pivotally v3() open the valve', andwhenv rod 21 moves down, it frees lever l5'to close the valve.

quickly to permit lever l5 to closethevalve i3, to the position of Figure 1, with a snap action. l

Ifvenough water be drawn off so that the water level drops belowthe upper edge'of cup 2|, suiiilcientto give that-cup weight well in excess of counterweight 21 [and the retaining force produced by the latch acting at 43-44, then the valve will be opened with a snap action because cup 2l will drop, after a time delay, since by this time it has suiiicient weight, whereupon the linkage will move and the valve will open fully.

Not untillower cup 2| has l attained a considerable weight willit release the latch at 43-44 to open the valve, and not until the buoyant force on cup., 30 is consider-able in amount, will the latch at'43-45 be yreleased to permit the valve to-close.

` Now having described the control means herein disclosed, reference should be had to the `Claims which'follow.

Iclaim: i

l. A control means for the upper head` vent valve vof a tank having a gas `charged liquid inlet andv a-'gas charged liquid outlet, and having a vent, and a valve below it lfor rising and closing itfor for dropping and opening it, comprising a counterwei-ghted linkage connected to the valve and having a normal tendency to move in a manner to bias said valve upwardly to close, but also movable in a manner to bias said valve downwardly to open, a .latch means for the linkage normally inhibiting it from moving, an open top liquid lled cup at the lower end of the tank operatively connected to the latch means and linkagel in such va mannerV that when the liquid level drops 'below the upper end of said lower cup, it drops and overcomes the latchy means to release it and overcomes the effectof thecounterweight on the linkage to move the linkage and lower the valve to open, but when the liquid level is above the said lower cup, it exerts no bias on the latch means or linkage, an open `bottoni cup at the upper end of the tank arranged to move up or down with the rise or fall of the liquid level and operatively connected to the linkage and latch means in such a manner that when the said upper cup is raised it overcomes the latch means, and moves the linkage to closel the valve. the latch means operating to hold the linkage in valve closed position, if it is there, or in valve open position, if it is there, said latch means comprising a latch member and two cams connected to the cups for providing snap release of the latch member, in either of two directions of movement of the cams, whereby, when the weight of the lower cup is in excess of the counterweight, but only then, the lower cup will drop, to actuate one cam to release the latch member and will movethelinkage to move the valve toppen with a snapa'cton, the latch member then moving to relatch the linkage,

but this time in its valve-open position, and.y

, it or for dropping and opening it, comprising a whereby, when the upper cup is raised bya rise' of the liquid level, it will move the otherca'm to l-iv release the latch member and the linkage will. tml-tobias said valve upwardly to close, but also lmovable in a manner to bias said valve downmove to valve closing position with a snap action,

the latch member then movingto relatch th'erli'nk-"i age, but this time in its valve-closed position.

2. Acontrol means for the upper head vent* 2'0' valve of a tank having a ,gas charged liquidfinlet and aj gas charged-liquid outlet, andyhavinga vent, and a valve below iii-.for rising and closing it or for dropping and openingit, comprising a counterweighted linkage connectedl to4 the valve and having a normal tendency-toV move in a manner to bias said valve upwardly ytofclose-but also movable4 in a manner to bias-'said fvalve `clownwardly toy open,a latch meansorthe linkage normally inhibiting it from moving, an .open-top liquid filled cup atv thelower end' of the :tank

operatively connected 4to thela-tch -means and linkage in such a mannery that; when'the liquid level drops below,v theupper end of :saiclf lower cup, it drops and overcomes thelatchmeains to release it and overcomesv theeffect ofthe counterweigh.J lon the linkage to move thelinkageand lower the valve, to open, but when -the-,liquidlevel is above the saidlower cup; -it .exerts no bias on the latchmeans orlinkage, an open bottom cup at the upper end -of the tank'arrangedto move up or down with therise or fa'll'of` the liquid level and operatively connected .tothe linkage and latch means in such a manner that when thexsaid upper cup is raised it `overcomes lthe latch means, and movesthelinkage to close `the-valve, the latch means operating to hold the linkage invalve closed position, if it is there, or in valve .open position,` if itis there, s aid `latch meanscomprising a latch memberand two cams connected to the cups for providing' snap release of the-latch member, in either of--twodirections of-rnovement of the cams, whereby, when the weight of the lower cup is in excess of thev counterweight, lbut only then, the lower cupwi'll, drop,` to actuate one cam torelease the latch' memberyand will move the linkage to move the lvalvei'to .open with a snap action, the latch member then moving to relatch the linkage, but this time in its valve-open position, and whereby, when the lupper cup is raised bya rise oi' the-liquidlevel, it will move'the other cani to release the latch member an'dfthe linkage ,will move to'fvalve 'clos'ingpositlonwith a snap counterweighted linkage lconnected to the valve and'having a normal tendency to move in a manis above the said lower cup, it exerts no bias onI the latch means or linkage, an openfbottom cup at theupper end of the tank 'arranged to move up or-down with the riseorfall of the liquid level and operatively connected 'to the linkage and latch means in such a manner that when the said upper cup is raised it overcomesthe latch means, and moves the linkage to close'the valve, the latch means operating to hold the linkage in valve closed position, if it is there, or in valvel open position,- if -it4 is there, said latch means comprising a latch member and two cams connected to the cups for'providing snap release of the latch member,v in either of two directions of movement of thecams, whereby, when ythe weight of the lower cup is in excessv ofthe counterweight, but only then, the lower'cup will drop, to actuate one cam to release 'the latch'member, and will move the linkage to move the valve to open with a snap action, the latch member then moving to relatch the linkage, but this time in its valve-open position, 'and'wh'ereby, 'when the upper cup is raised by arise of the liquid level, it will move the other cam to release the latch member and the linkage will move to valvev closing position with a snap action, Athe latchmember then moving to-relatch the linkage, but this time in its valve-closed position, the'linkage comprising a parallelogram hav ingtwo vertical members', oneof which is counterweighted to give the linkage a tendency to move to valve closing position, and the other one of which x'edly mounts the upper inverted cup and the lower cup, and which also mounts the two cams,l the latchmember being .disposed near such cams, Y t

' OTTO THIEL. 

